Business owners, like homeowners, occasionally like to see what their prized asset is worth. You’ve put the long hours in, built a business, attracted customers, surely they’ll be someone out there prepared to pay a decent price for all your hard work. Unfortunately, the picture isn’t quite as rosy as it seems. According to the latest analysis of some 20,000 …
Business owners are called “Captains of Industry” for a reason. A captain knows the destination, plots the journey, checks the weather, ensures the right crew and resources are on-board, and how to steer a safe course. That is the core of vision. Not just knowing where you want to go, but how you plan to get there. As Theodore Hesburgh …
Depending on how busy you are, you may or may not have noticed that Christmas is coming. It’s that time of year when multi-coloured jumpers become the must-have fashion item, Dr Jekyll turns into Mr Hyde at the office party, and retailers layer their ads with mountains of cheese to tempt us to part with our hard-earned cash. It’s also …
Sustainability is never out of the news at the moment. Are you a fossil fool? The solution is less pollution. There is no Planet B. As the world population grows, so does the pressure on our resources. We need an environment and food chain that can continue to function and deliver for the 7.7 billion who live on planet earth, …
In 1999 I helped set up the advertising agency, Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy. I know, not the snappiest name ever, but at least it did what it said on the tin. When a client came in to see MCBD, they got M, C, B and D. When we opened the agency doors we were inundated with calls from prospective clients. …
A fundamental question for all owners – when is the right time to sell your business? The answer to this age-old question is this – the time to sell is when someone else is willing to invest more in your company than you are. When you start a business, nobody is willing to invest in its success more than you. …
As an owner you want your business to make you money. But ask yourself does your business make you happy? It’s a question we ask owners, and all too often the answer is ‘no.’ Take the case of Gavin Rebello. He’d set up a successful optician business, but he didn’t just want financial rewards, he wanted a better quality of …
The idea of exiting may seem far off, and all of your efforts are going into scaling your business. But there are good reasons why it pays to be exit ready. What if you grow tired of your business, or you can’t carry on because of illness, or a key member of your team leaves or someone makes you an …